Akademi Fantasia - An appeal to all Malaysians

Next week will be the beginning of another new season of Akademi Fantasia (AF7). It's been seven years since they started this show and since the first season, millions of ringgit has been poured by avid fans of the show through SMS votes. While it is their right to waste their hard-earned money voting for these students, I'm appealing to all Malaysians this time to think twice before supporting such meaningless shows.

So your favourite student won and became champions and is rewarded with a car, a house, a holiday tour and cash prizes. And after that they'll sign a recording contract, produce an album and rake more money than you'll ever get in a lifetime. So what's in it for you? You spent a few hundred ringgits for what? A few moments of cheap thrill and satisfaction seeing your fave choice win? Is it really worth it?

If they really want to include viewer participation, they can always run a web-based voting or something so that everybody can vote without spending a single cent. This applies not only for Akademi Fantasia but also to all other sms-based shows, contests and whatever. For contests it's even worse. You spend so much money for SMS participating in a particular contest with no guarantee that you'll win anything. That's no different than buying 4D or lottery to me and for Muslims, it's haram as hell.

So fellow Malaysians, this season stop this lunacy and nonsense and waste. I can list here a dozen different beneficial things you can do with your money than waste them on AF7 and what not. The world is in recession right now and soon everybody will feel the pinch of the economic downturn. The only person that will benefit from this AF thingy is T. Ananda Krishnan, owner of Astro and Maxis and also the second richest person in Malaysia. He will be laughing all the way to the bank every AF season. And for Pakatan Rakyat supporters let me tell you, this guy donates millions of ringgit of funds to BN and UMNO to get to where he is today. Every cent that you donate to AF will eventually contribute to BN and UMNO's slush fund. You want to do that?

A dozen things you can do with your money other than waste on AF.

1. Give your money to charity2. Save up to buy that new phone/laptop/gadget3. Go on vacation with your loved ones4. Treat your family with a really nice dinner5. Pay your outstanding bills/debts6. Organize some makan-makan for your friends!7. Balik kampung to see your grandparent8. Save up for that special birthday present for your wife/kids9. Change your worn tires10. Save up for rainy days11. Go shopping!12. Donate to Afif's Wildlife Preservation Fund